The other day, an earthquake of lower-5 on the Japanese scale hit the Ebata family, causing 'the bookshelf I made to collapse.

"This was quite a shock to me", as I had always prided myself on my earthquake preparedness.

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A few days later, I set up an accident investigation committee and was stunned to discover that one of the two brackets supporting the bookshelf had been installed in a place where the joists did not go.

In other words, it was "just a plasterboard with wood screws stuck in it.

It could have collapsed at any time, regardless of the earthquake.

I am not sure why I made such a rudimentary mistake.

Anyway, this time, I did a thorough preliminary investigation using these instruments.

I believe that the renovated bookshelves will be able to withstand a seismic intensity 7 earthquake with only a few books falling.

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In the Ebata house, there are nearly 20 shelves that I installed as a DIY project.

My room is full of shelves.

If there is an earthquake -- and it is nighttime -- it is obvious that dozens of books will fall on my sleeping body at once.

So now I sleep with my head tucked under my desk to avoid a direct hit to my head.

I've already given up on protecting anything other than my head.